Advice needed - DH reckons 6-week old not getting enough milk ...

[queribus]

Sorry, this might be a bit rambling! DS is 6 weeks old and is breastfed. I though we were doing really well - no problems, seems content, putting on weight, plenty of dirty/wet nappies. However, he does get really upset in the evenings, crying for upto a couple of hours at a time, until he finally sleeps around 11pm.

Last night DH announced that he believes that DS is crying every night because he's starving and is not getting enough milk from me throughout the day. He belives that we should add bottles of ebm (and possibly formula) to make sure that he's getting enough.

Admittedly, DS only feeds for very short periods - 15 minutes at most and only one breast - but is fed every 2 - 2 1/2 hours during the day. HV reckons that he's just a very efficient feeder!? His weight has increased from 9lbs 9 1/2oz at birth to 11lbs 12oz last week, so I think he's doing OK!

I guess my questions are:

• is it possible that DS isn't getting enough milk from me?
• could this be responsible for the crying at night?
• is the HV correct about efficient feeder?

TBH DH's comment has upset me because of the implication that DS is going hungry and that I'm somehow 'failing' to feed him properly.

Sorry for the long post - bit upset and sleep deprived!

I have a 4 week old BF DD3 and she is doing the exact same thing as did her two sisters, they have all been fussy in the evenings at around this stage. She is a speed feeder too I feed her from one side then change her nappy to wake her up then feed her from the other if she wants it.

You are doing great this is such a short period of time in their lives and things settle down in a few weeks.

Thanks for all the great replies.

I shall carry on doing what I'm doing and hope that the evenings become more settled with time.

Just to agree with oops, colic is a totally different type of crying to crying.
Many many babies get cry'ey mid to late afternoon.
Just at that time when mummy is tired and had enough, and just before daddy comes home. Impeccable timing !!
That over-tiredness, if thtas what it is, general unsettled'ness. There are also many threads on MN to help you with that.
If it is colic. You say you are trying infacol. If infacol doesn't work, please try another. Gripe water works for some, colief for others.

Keep up the bf. Sounds like you are actually doing really really well. Take some praise and sit back and enjoy

My 10 month old was exactly the same and suddenly stopped his 6-12 crying/feeding at 12 weeks (I used to call it the witching hours!).
He has been an ace sleeper ever since and he has gone down between 7-8 ever since.
They will become more settled and you can have your dinners together soon!!
Good luck x

All my three were fussy in the evening. I would either cluster feed or just rock them calmly (hard though that can be with a screaming child). It isn't always colic, sometimes it is just being overstimulated and over-tired. With ds2 (3mo) he tends to work himself up to a crescendo and then suddenly drop off to sleep. The good news is your baby is almost certainly getting enough milk and behaving like a normal 6wo. Stay calm and carry on doing what you're doing

Sounds totally normal - and like you are doing really well!

dd1 was pretty fussy in the evenings. With dd2 I realised that she would just get so tired that she would cry with exhaustion - didn't want food etc. I'd try and feed her and she'd just cry more!

The best thing was not to fuss her about too much - just rock her near the extractor fan in the kitchen till she dropped off - and accept that babies do cry.

As someone else said, it lasted about 12 weeks, and never had to rock her after that.